MAIDENHEAD'S BIG FREEZE

The towns of Maidenhead, Windsor, and Eton in Berkshire, England are liable to major floods twice a century and lesser floods every five to seven years. This article discusses the #6.7M Dorney Bridge project on the outskirts of Maidenhead, which is part of an Environmental Agency (EA) scheme to divert water from the River Thames along an 11.6km long artificial but natural-looking channel which will rejoin the river just east of Eton. Work on the scheme began in 1996 and is due to finish in Winter 2000. At Dorney Bridge, where site work began in September 1997, a huge box culvert had to be jacked through an embankment under the main line of the Great Western Railway. The culvert is 50m long, 23m wide, and 9.5m high. The project was designed by consultant Scott Wilson Rail for main contractor Edmund Nuttall, and it was decided to use freezing to stabilise the embankment during the jacking. The northern side of the 10m high embankment is made of clay fill, and the southern half has a mixture of clay and gravel. Gravels, sands and chalk lie under the embankment, and the water table is very high, a minimum of 1.5m below ground level. As it was vital to minimise movement in the embankment and its four railway lines, settlement was carefully monitored. Jacking is complete, and final preparations are being made to thaw the ground.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00174653
• Corporate Authors:

  EMAP CONSTRUCT LIMITED

  151 ROSEBERY AVENUE
  LONDON,   United Kingdom  EC1R 4QX
• Authors:
  • SOUDAIN, M
• Publication Date: 1999-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 26-7
• Serial:
  • GROUND ENGINEERING
  • Volume: 32
  • Issue Number: 10
  • Publisher: EMAP CONSTRUCT LIMITED
  • ISSN: 0017-4653

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Clay; Construction; Culverts; Embankments; Floods; Freezing; Gravel; Groundwater; Inland waterways; Jacks (Mechanical equipment); Prevention; Railroad tracks; Soil stabilization; Urban areas
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 3455: Bridge; 4177: Clay; 3655: Construction; 3360: Culvert; 2801: Embankment; 2569: Flooding; 3601: Freezing (method); 4575: Gravel; 4383: Ground water; 1088: Inland waterway; 3831: Jack; 9149: Prevention; 3689: Soil stabilization; 8119: United Kingdom; 313: Urban area
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction; Geotechnology; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Railroads; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00780948
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Jan 7 2000 12:00AM